Battle of Monterrey

The Battle of Monterrey (21-24 September 1846) was a battle of the Mexican-American War that was fought between the 7,303-strong Mexican garrison of Monterrey under Pedro de Ampudia and the 6,220-strong American army of Zachary Taylor. Following the Battle of Resaca de la Palma, the American army crossed the Rio Grande, and Secretary of War William L. Marcy ordered Taylor to take Monterrey and "dispose the enemy to desire and end to the war" by demoralizing them. The remnants of Mariano Arista's army met up with Ampudia's garrison and put up a strong defense, inflicting heavy losses on the Americans in urban combat; the Saint Patrick's Battalion fought its first battle in the city. On 24 September, the two sides negotiated a three-month armistice, and the Mexicans were allowed to evacuate the city and hand it over to the Americans.